Comrades in Arms
by Art of the Artichoke
Summary: What starts off as a simple rescue mission gets way more complicated. What will Rush do when he realizes his feelings about the Marquis of Athlum surpass those of friendship? Follows the main storyline. Eventually RushxDave.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Remnant._

_Further Disclaimer: In case you couldn't tell, there will be yaoi in this fanfic._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Bouquet<strong>

Eulam was a gorgeous island. Fresh green grass whispered in the wind, the landscape dotted by flowers coming into full bloom, and you could hear the branches of the forest rustling back and forth. The tranquil atmosphere was ruined however, as I dashed through the woods in search of my sister. She couldn't be far; I knew she was off picking flowers.

The wind was picking up. A small clump of dark clouds was in the sky. In the distance I spotted a girl with soft brown hair wearing her favorite dress. No mistakes there. It was obviously Irina. She reminded me so much of our parents. Being the only one with black hair makes me the odd one out, huh?

"IRINA!" I yelled. "It's a package from Mom and Dad!" She turned around to stare at me with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. I waved the small package up and down, eagerly awaiting to open it.

"Aw, it's probably just another lame excuse why they can't leave their research."

I patted her playfully on the head. "Hey, cheer up, Sis." Uh-oh. Dropped the package. I really should pay more attention to the things I'm holding. "Whoops!" I gave a small laugh and continued. "It's a visistone. Let me set it up." I opened up the package to reveal two glowing crystals, a red and a blue. Shining together, they projected an image of both my Mother and Father.

"Hi Rush! Hello Irina! Are you two behaving yourselves?" ghostly Father asked. "Both of us are having a great time here at the Academy in Elysion. And we were lucky enough to have a breakthrough in our research…" he continued. I walked through the holographs to stand next to Irina. Unbothered by this, Father continued, "But, as you probably guessed, things are taking longer than expected."

"See? Told you!" Irina said in a know-it-all voice. I hated when she used that!

"So your father and I agree that you should come live with us in Elysion."

"It's always about what they want!" Irina pouted.

I put my arm on her shoulder as father continued, "What we've found is a key that lets us use the Remnants in new ways. It's gonna change the world for the better! But you kids are more important to us…and I'm sorry we haven't been out to visit for so long."

"John, we're running out of time –"

"Oh? Ah, right. We'll be sending someone to pick you up."

"Better start packing your bags!" Mom reminded us.

"And Rush, you look after your sister, alright?" Dad told me.

"Take care of yourselves!"

"We'll be seeing yo-" the apparition faded. Visistones only record for a certain amount of time. The glow on the crystals dimmed.

I threw my arms up in the air."Out of time – Dad's never been good at keeping track." Irina still looked upset. I needed to reassure her. I'm her big brother, after all. "You worried about leaving?" I asked, putting my arm comfortingly on her shoulder.

"A little…I mean, I've never been off the island before." She turned to me with a grin on her face. "Ah, I'll be fine! After all, we'll be back with Mom and Dad!"

"You know it!" I grinned.

Suddenly dark clouds burst into the sky, right above us! "What?" Irina exclaimed, quickly followed by a "WHAT?" of my own. It was a giant…glowy…flying thing! Crashing from the sky at lightning speed, it was hard to make anything out. Boulder-like creatures crashed into the ground as the earth shook. I instinctively wrapped my arms around my sister, but a kick from one of the creatures sent me flying backwards.

"RUSH!" Irina yelled. Dazed, I stumbled to my feet, and through my dizziness I saw a very large man holding onto Irina. "Let me…go…" she struggled against him. WHACK! A heavy blow from the rock-creature barley missed me. It was hard to see anything, but I had to get to Irina before it was too late! I stumbled towards her. Almost there…

THUD. My face hit the ground yet again…I must have gotten hit from behind. A dark liquid trailed down my face which could have only been blood. "RUSH!" I heard Irina struggle again. She was trying to get to me as well.

"Aargh! Get your hands off me!" I cried as the rest of the beasts held me down. A massive appendage whacked me across me the face. I could feel the air being pressed out of my lungs. There was no way I could get out of this one…I failed my parents…I failed my sister…

"No! Leave my brother alone!" The words had barely gotten out of Irina's mouth before the large man knocked her on the head, rendering her unconscious.

"Ice him," he spoke to his minions. Taking Irina he headed back to his flying contraption. It took off high into the sky, leaving me alone and trapped. I could make out the glowing eyes and pointed horns on one of the creatures as it let go of me, preparing to strike.

"AHHHHH!" I could spot an eerie green light. Was this the end? I stood up and noticed it was my own body that was glowing. This seemed to scare the creatures, as they were backing away from me. I felt a sharp pain, and then each of the creatures exploded. The light dimmed, and I collapsed, exhausted.

When I woke everything seemed to be back the way it should have been. No sign of the dark clouds, creatures, or the flying contraption. I briefly wondered if it had been a strange dream…wait a minute! That man took Irina! I had to find her! I sprinted as fast as I could through the woods. I had no idea where to go, but I had to head somewhere.

*Several Hours Later*

Great. I was lost in the woods, and still no sign of my sister. We had explored parts of the forest before, but never this far. The glow that encased my body earlier healed my wounds from the battle, yet did nothing to help my current exhaustion. Flower petals drifted through the air in a gentle breeze as I tried to get my bearings. I looked for anything, perhaps a defining landmark, paths, footprints. All I saw was trees, trees, and more trees. I don't think I could find my way back even if I tried. Perhaps if I headed toward the end of the island? There was a small port with transportation there. Which would be no problem if I headed back home and FOLLOWED THE ROAD. Perhaps the person our parents sent to pick us up would arrive there. If I got to Elysion I could tell my parents about Irina! It seemed like the best plan so far.

Panting from exhaustion, I looked around yet again. "Damn…where is she?" I said aloud to myself. A small patch of sun shone from the sky onto a small patch of purple flowers, the same kind Irina was holding earlier. "…Irina's favorite…" I briefly held one of the flowers. I heard a sound coming not too far from where I was standing. A bugle? The port must be close. I had to hurry, a ship might be leaving! Dashing as fast as I could, I could see the trees starting to fade, I was almost there!

Almost there as in the wrong end of the island. I caught sight of a path leading to a bridge that crossed to the mainland. But was it truly the "wrong end?" Mom and Dad never told us how the person coming to pick us would arrive.

So now I was faced with a choice. I could follow the path back to our home and wait there, or keep travelling. "It would be smarter to follow the road back," I said aloud. However, I could hear the bugle in the distance, as well as loud shouting and thunderous footsteps. My curiosity got the better of me. After all, once I figured out what it was I could head back.

Following the road the noise got louder and louder. It was coming from the right while the path veered to the left. Obviously I'd have to follow the sounds! I had gone this far after all. Running towards the noises, I crossed a small grass field, then came to a sudden stop, as a steep incline blocked my path! I might get hurt if I jumped down. To make matters worse, there was no road in sight, but a vast plain. Hands on my knees and panting, I glanced down. Hundreds of soldiers were heading off to battle! That must have been where the bugle came from. Why were they here? "What in the hell…" I panted. It made no sense whatsoever.

The armies marched forward. "Outta the way, you idiots!" I heard a general yell. I couldn't see much. With a giant bang, a large cannon-shaped weapon fell to the ground. Gold trim outlined the edges. It looked very very very dangerous. "The Gae Bolg is ready!" the same general yelled. The opposing army was composed of all monsters. I still had no clue as to what was going on. The giant cannon (the Gae Bolg, I assumed) started to glow in a similar way my body did facing off against my earlier fight.

"We are ready, my lord." A different voice spoke, strong and confident. "Victory shall be ours!" I heard cheers echo across the battlefield.

"What is this…" I wondered aloud. "Irina!" She might be down there! Ignoring my better sense, I slid down the cliff to see the battle more clearly. Luckily I landed on my feet after taking a few tumbles. I'd get bruises later, but now was not the time to think about that. "IRINA!" I dodged blows from both sides as I ran around screaming her name.

The ground began to shake. I looked around to see why. The Gae Bolg was going to fire! The huge cannon lifted itself into the air. All I could do was watch as it fired up, giant spheres of energy escaping from the barrel. The spheres floated up into the sky, the light blinding me. A giant crash and all was silent. The blast knocked me to the ground, and I realized I was surrounded by one of the giant spheres. It quickly combusted, and got sucked into the pendant that I always wear. Huh. Strange.

Looking down I saw a warrior. She must have been knocked over by the blast as well. "Irina? Huh? Who are you?" She lunged toward me and grabbed my throat!

"That's what I should be asking you!" she spat angrily.

I threw my hands up in the air in surrender. "W-wait! Hold on!" The ground began to shake again. A small earthquake opened up the ground in front of us! "Ahhhhh!" I screamed and fell into the ground. I hit the ground with a thud. "Ow." I gave a quick look around the surrounds. Seemed like I was in a cave. I saw the warrior from earlier and headed in her direction. Was she okay?

"Lady Emma? Are you hurt?" a rough voice yelled from above the hole.

"Is that you, Blocter? I'm fine. I can see a light in the distance. That should be the way out."

"Yes, ma'am! We're en route now!"

The warrior now known as Lady Emma began to walk towards the exit, armor clinking. She was going to leave me in the cave! "H-hey! Wait up, lady! What's going on?"

She turned to face me. I noticed among her stern expression there was a light scar going vertically across her face, slightly obscured by her grey locks and rather silly looking helmet. "The Gae Bolg blew a hole in the ground, and now we're in this cave. Anything else obvious you'd like pointed out?" Somehow she managed to glare at me even more than before.

"Cave?" I echoed, still confused.

"At least the exit isn't far." Emma continued walking away from me.

"Hey, wait! Listen to me!" I ran up to her. No way was I going to be left in this cave by myself. "Hey!"

She spun to face me and threw me against the wall! A rather menacing looking blade was at my throat. "I'll hear whatever you have to say once we get out of here. Your story better be good, spy."

"What do you mean, spy?"

"Think about it, genius. Why else would you be on a battlefield?" The blade moved even closer to my throat.

"What are you talking about? I'm just looking for my sister Irina!"

"Irina?" She gave an incredulous look, as if seeing me for the first time. "What's your name?"

"Me?" I said as I was shoved even further against the wall. "Rush! Rush Sykes!" Emma let go of me and I fell to the floor.

"Rush Sykes." She must have recognized my name.

"Ow." She didn't have to drop me so hard!

"So you're looking for your sister? What happened to her?" Still stunned, I didn't answer. "Speak!"

"We're from this island called Eulam…"

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><p><em>What did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Just plain meh? Reviews are love.<em>

_On another note, I'm looking for a beta. PM if you're interested ^_^_

_A/N: I always wondered how Rush got off the island. In the flashback he's clearly on Eulam, but the battle is on Yamarn Plain. My sister suggested "use a bridge," and that seemed like the best idea._


	2. Chapter 2

_Big thanks to Hotaru Shizuma and Yukiko Shiroryuu for the reviews._

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Uh...what is this power?<strong>

"Attacked by a giant beast...and protected by the light from your talisman. Child, do you think I'm senile?"

"It's true!" I looked at her angrily. She was treating me like a little kid!

Emma sighed. "Whatever. First things first - we need to get out of here." She headed toward the exit, making it clear I was to follow her. I noticed a small glowing trophy with a light similar to that of my talisman.

I raised an eyebrow. "What is that?" I asked Emma.

"It's a treasure chest - a type of remnant. They're not that uncommon."

Stepping up to get a closer look, I asked, "Remnant, huh?"

"You do know what a Remnant is, right?"

I paused to think about it. Back on Eulam, Mom and Dad hired tutors to teach Irina and I. Writing, math, history, geography, magic, and my favorite, martial arts, particularly sword fighting. Damn! Not that my wooden katana would have much effect on fighting monsters...but I left it back at home. Not wearing armor or having a weapon made me seem rather weak in comparison to Emma. "Uhh...they're very powerful ancient artifacts right?"

"A rather...simple...explanation, but you are correct. Although not all Remnants are that powerful. Take this treasure chest for example. There could be any number of things inside. Find out...bind it."

I glanced at the glowing treasure chest. "Bind? What do you mean?"

"You have to 'bind' a Remnant to use it. In this case, just reach out your hand ask it to show you what's inside. It's simple enough that even you can do it - provided that someone else hasn't bound it first."

I reached toward the treasure chest. It still looked like a trophy to me. "Oh mighty Remnant, might I see what you are holding?" Soon enough, the top unscrewed and inside was a simple broadsword.

"You really don't have to say that aloud." She peered closer. "A sword, hmm? I suppose you can keep that. You won't be quite as useless."

"Umm...thanks."

"Let's move out," Emma replied, and began moving toward the exit yet again. I crept along behind her. A few minutes later, I hear Emma speak yet again. "Quiet," she said. I peeked around her. Looking down I saw a rather large looking lizard. It was fast asleep.

"Perhaps we should sneak by," I told her.

"My clinking armor is hardly stealthy. It would be best to attack while it's unaware. You know how to use that sword, I presume?"

"Yeah...duh. Of course!"

"Then let's move out." We headed towards the dark-scaled beast. As it slept it let out a soft roar.

"Maybe we should reconsider tactics?"

"Stay behind me and don't do anything stupid." We crept along toward the monster. I could see what Emma meant about her armor; it was quite loud. A growl from a beast indicated Emma to charge! She grabbed her two swords from her back and got ready for combat. I took a defensive stance, still behind her. Emma lunged at the monster left to right and managed to gash its side. ROAR! The monster was awake now. Awake and quite angry. Emma attempted to strike again, but the monster dodged. I took this as a sign to attack myself. I attempted a rather elegant looking flourish but missed. That broadsword was a lot different than I was used to. More slashes from Emma ensued, as well as the monster swiping at us with its claws and tail. This was getting nowhere…

I felt a sudden energy begin to encase me, pulsating from my talisman. I grabbed it with my fist in hopes to contain it, but the glow spread throughout my body in a similar way in the battle with my sister. Grinning, I jumped towards the monster. I felt awesome! Using bare fists I punched and kicked the beast, each blow landing perfectly. Flying across the air I felt so alive. Before I knew it I was back on ground and the monster knocked out beside me. The glow receded back into the talisman. I bent down and gasped, out of breath.

"So, your talisman is more than a fashion accessory after all," Emma said. Movement from the exit indicated some troops coming in. They must have been the people looking for Emma. A qsiti, sovanni, yama, and a mitra (like myself) made up their ranks. I had never met any of the other races in person, only saw pictures from books. The mitra were also known as humans, the most common race. The short frog-like qsiti were stereotypically known as scholars and mages, especially with their small stature not having as much strength in battle. Sovanni resembled something like a cat, but with two sets of arms. Oftentimes they wielded four swords at once. They could live thousands of years, often stoic and shy and keeping to themselves. Yama were huge, gigantic even. They had fins across their bodies and reminded me somewhat of a fish. I wouldn't want to face one in a fight; they were strong and fierce in battle.

"My Lord!" Emma went running over to the group. "You did not have to come all this way for me." She bowed to the mitra who must have been the leader of the group. He reminded me a bit of myself: he looked rather young, and a similar hairstyle, except blond. It looked a bit odd in contrast with his tan skin, yet he was still good-looking. Well…for a guy that is. "Please, accept my apologies," Emma continued.

"Seeing you safe is apology enough," the man spoke. He sounded so formal! I wonder if he's royalty. His clothes did look rather fancy. "And who is this?" He looked at me, interrupting my thoughts.

Emma glared back at me. "He claims to be the son of Dr. Sykes." His clothing did seem to have some armor underneath, colored with crimson and teal. I wonder…what city is he from?

"I see." His words interrupted my staring. I've never seen people like these before! Eulam was so small, and the only one I was close with was Irina. We'd often wonder what it was like in the bigger cities, bustling with people, buildings, sounds, and who knows what else! Still in a daze I barely noticed the imposing looking Sovanni approaching me. He was wearing red as well.

"I am Torgal, one of Athlum's Four Generals," his deep commanding voice spoke. Well, that explains where they are from. "Our lord, the Marquis of Athlum, would like to extend his thanks." Wow, he was the Marquis of Athlum? He couldn't have been a year or two older than me! "Step forward," Torgal continued. He motioned behind him, and left to take his place by the Marquis' left.

"I will have you know that your actions have won my gratitude," the blond-haired royal spoke.

Emma glanced at him. "My Lord, permission to speak?" she asked.

"Of course, Lady Emma," he smiled at her.

"This child…this boy, claims that a man has kidnapped his sister Irina. That was why he was on the battlefield, trying to 'chase down' the kidnapper. I don't believe his story fully, but he seems…sincere enough," she admitted grudgingly.

The Marquis of Athlum looked thoughtful. "As of right now, we have very little information about your sister, Rush. But if the men you seek have entered Athlumian territory, we cannot turn a blind eye." I looked down, crestfallen. They had no idea where Irina was either. The Marquis raised his arm slightly and said, "I shall accompany you to Athlum."

"Huh?" They were taking me to Athlum? Why?

Luckily Torgal clarified. "Our lord would like to aid you in your search for your sister." I stepped up closer toward the group. Torgal glared at me and started to draw one of his swords.

"It's fine, Torgal," the Marquis said, which caused Torgal to back away from me.

I patted the Marquis on the shoulder. "Thanks a lot! I chased that weird flying thing here, but I didn't have a clue where to go next. But hey, if I've got an important guy like you backing me up, I've got a whole lot less to worry about!" I shook his hand. "This is ace!" This was so exciting! "The name's Rush…Rush Sykes! Who're you?"

"I am David Nassau, the Marquis of Athlum. You may address me as David."

"Sure thing, Dave!" I grinned.

"Let us return and see what tidings await us in Athlum. All troops return to Athlum immediately!"

The four generals faced him. "Yes my lord!" they responded in unision.

I patted Dave on the shoulder again and spoke, "C'mon Dave! Let's go!" Emma and Torgal didn't seem too fond of me, but Dave was a friend, I could tell! I'd have to work extra hard to get on Emma and Torgals' good side. I had a feeling we'd be spending a lot of time together and it would be great if we could all get along.

As I turned to walk away Emma shoved me to the floor! "You whelp! Have you no manners? That is no way to address the Marquis of Athlum!"

Now she was just being mean! "Geez! What's your problem?" Still on the ground I scooted away from her.

"He's surprisingly simple, wouldn't you say?" I heard Torgal speak to Dave…errr…Lord David.

"We have yet to see," he replied mystically.

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><p><em>So what did you think? ^_^<em>

_I noticed in the game David knows Rush's sister is missing without being told about it, so I had Emma mention something. I also tried to make some of the dialog seem less tutorial-ish, which is helpful in the game, but silly in a story!_


	3. Chapter 3

_This is all original dialog, and is divided into three "parts" to represent a passage of time on the journey from the Yamarn Plain to Athlum._

_Thanks to anonD for the review and Hotaru Shizuma for adding another one._

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><p><strong>CH 3: En Route to Athlum<strong>

_Part I: Story Time_

Dave's army had moved out, headed back home, with us in tow. Now seemed like a good time to get to know each other. I tried to forget the last encounter I had with Emma. I still hoped we'd get along eventually. It's just…why did she have to be so formal all the time? David is the Marquis of Athlum, sure, but he looks to be about my age (note to self: ask Dave for his age when possible). Friends don't talk to each other like that, right? At least I never talked to my sister like that. Besides her, I never knew anyone my age. And while I loved my sister, she was two years younger than me and a girl. If we had grown up in the city I'm sure I'd be able to know tons of people. Geez, I hope I wasn't acting like an idiot. What if people were really different in Athlum?

I turned to Athlum's Four Generals. "Hey," I said. "I never really got all of your names. I'm Rush, Rush Sykes. But you probably all know that," I rambled.

The overwhelmingly huge Yama looked at me. "I'm Blocter. You mighta hear me yellin' down into the cave you were in. Had to make sure Lady Emma was okay. And that is – "

"I can introduce myself, you know," the qsiti spoke. "I'm Pagus. It is nice to meet you Rush," he said politely. "Among the generals I specialize in intelligence-gathering…and on my own time, I enjoy studying history." He glanced around at the surroundings. "For example, do you know why battles on the Yamarn Plain are so important?"

"Uh-oh. Don't get him started," Blocter warned in a voice he thought was quiet. However a yama's idea of quiet doesn't exactly match how other species see it. Pagus merely rolled his eyes at him.

"What is the Yamarn Plain?" I asked the qsiti scholar.

Pagus' eyes lit up at the question. "So you seek knowledge? The Yamarn Plain is actually quite close to your island, Eulam. Many have fought on it in hopes to get to Celapaleis. Which is the large city east of Athlum, of course. Defending the Yamarn plain and Athlum as well has become crucial as Celapaleis' first line of defense."

"So Athlum isn't that big?" I asked.

"Not compared to Celapaleis or Elysion. But it will seem big to you. You've never been off Eulam, have you?"

"Well…no. I mean, yeah, I'm on the mainland now, but it doesn't seem that different. But I haven't seen any cities yet!"

The qsiti smiled. It seemed quite easy to get along with him. Awesome! I just made another friend. I grinned back and continued chatting with him. It made the day pass by a lot quicker.

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><p><em>Part II: Swordplay<em>

We had set up camp for the night. I glanced over at Dave. I hadn't had much of a chance to talk to him; Emma and Torgal were hogging all of his attention. But now he was by himself, going through some forms with his sword and shield. How should I go over to him? I didn't want to interrupt what he was doing. Wait, what am I thinking? I have a sword of my own! I could ask to practice with him. Brilliant.

I nervously scratched the back of my head as I approached. Why was this so hard? "Hey, Dave."

The Marquis finished thrusting at an invisible enemy. "Hello, Rush. I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Wait – you have?"

"I wanted to ask how you were feeling about your sister. You must really care about her, to go running after her like that."

"Yeah, I do. I always feel the need to protect her…even though she is a fairly good fighter herself. She's even beaten me a couple times in practice," I admitted. "That's why I came over! I wanted to spar with you. If I want to help Irina I have to be a lot stronger."

"It would be my honor." David brandished his sword. "You have to see Pagus first though. He'll cast a spell on our blades to make them not as lethal. It acts as if it were a shield. If one of us scores a hit, it will bounce off our skin. It only lasts for around half an hour though."

"That sounds ace, Dave!" And with that, we headed over to the qsiti. On the way back, we noticed the spell Pagus had cast left a light blue aura surrounding our blades. I flashed Dave a smile. "Ready?" I asked.

"Ready."

I charged. "Arrgh!" Dave easily deflected, and our sparring had begun. Thirty minutes of lunging, thrusting, dodging, and parrying had left us exhausted. I wish I could have talked to Dave more, but I was really tired. Trying to cover up the fact I was still gasping for breath, I muttered a "Thanks, Dave! I'm gonna try and get some sleep now."

"Goodnight, Rush."

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><p><em>Part III: Travel by Portal<em>

"We are approaching the teleporter," Pagus informed us.

Okay, not cool. Why doesn't anyone ever tell me what anything is? "What?" I gave Pagus a blank look. I never heard of a teleporter before.

"They are a type of Remnant. Once you reach out and touch it you can think of any other teleporter you've encountered and you will appear in that location."

"Oh. Well, I've never seen one before. Or any other ones."

"It is a simple matter," Pagus began to clarify. "You must hold hands with a person who knows where you are going. "

"Wow, that's so cool! Why doesn't everybody use these?" I looked at the qsiti excitedly.

"Teleportation devices are not made to move large groups of people. They tend to get…unstable, shall we say? Additionally, you have to know the location of the teleporter in question. Typically they are found in every palace of a town or city, as well as being dotted throughout the landscape. This one would be easy to miss. It's underneath that giant bush over there. Luckily, I have a map of the area." Pagus pulled out a rather large and complex looking map, complete with a grid and a bunch of dots. He saw my confused look and said, "The different colored dots are points of interest. I could explain in more detail…"

"You really don't have to," Blocter interjected.

"Very well then. Let us enter the portal and get back to Athlum," Pagus replied as he reached out to touch the teleporter. Suddenly, he was gone!

"Whoa," I said in awe. Blocter followed suit. "Hey – wait a minute? Who is going to hold my hand?" I asked.

David stepped next to me. "I will." He grasped my hand in his, and with his other hand reached out. We were sucked in! And almost instantaneously we were in the palace of Athlum.

"Thanks Dave! Are you supposed to feel tingly afterwards?"

"I've never heard of that reaction before. You might want to speak with Pagus about it, if you have time." He gave me a quizzical look. Dave glanced at me and said, "Well…I have to meet with my generals. You may explore Athlum a little if you wish. A guard will summon you when I am finished." I headed out the palace door and heard the voices of Emma and Torgal. They must have just appeared…but my thoughts soon got distracted as I took a look around. There was a cobblestoned path, giant buildings, and tons of people! It was so awesome! Irina would love to see this! Oh…Irina. What was I thinking? I shouldn't be messing around. I had to see if I could find any kind of information on her.

I glanced around, almost getting lost. First order of business: find a map. My heart had finally stopped pumping so fast. I must have been nervous about the teleporter when I was holding Dave's hand. Yeah, that must be it.

It was as good an explanation as any.

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><p><em>This chapter is rather short. I was planning on having Chapter 4 being about Rush wandering around Athlum and Chapter 5 dealing with Blocter and Pagus' missions. I might combine them into one chapter, not sure yet. I keep getting distracted by replaying the actual game.<em>


End file.
